


come of age

by Fluffifullness



Series: Tumblr MakoHaru Festival [11]
Category: Free!
Genre: Children, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, One Shot, Pre-Series, Pre-Slash, Prompt Fic, Tumblr: makoharufestival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-02
Updated: 2014-02-02
Packaged: 2018-01-10 21:36:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1164800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffifullness/pseuds/Fluffifullness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He and Haru-chan are both seven, but they’ll be eight really soon – Haru-chan first in a few months, and then Makoto a little while after that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	come of age

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the "meaningless without you" challenge of the [makoharu festival on tumblr](http://makoharufestival.tumblr.com/). The post on tumblr is [here](http://makoharufestival.tumblr.com/post/75485184409/challenge-meaningless-without-you-user?utm_medium=email&utm_source=html&utm_campaign=submission_published&utm_term=respond_link).
> 
> The events of this fic should be able to fit into a pre- _High Speed!_ timeline, but there may be some kind of inconsistency; I haven't actually read the novel yet. Also, I tried but definitely can't guarantee the accuracy of Haruka and Makoto's ages in terms of the grade they're in. The Japanese school year isn't the same at all, so I might have been a little off. Either way, it's not crucial to the story or anything. ^_^

He and Haru-chan are both seven, but they’ll be eight really soon – Haru-chan first in a few months, and then Makoto a little while after that. They’ll be in the second grade already, and then there will only be four more years left until they can move on to middle school. His mom keeps reminding him not to rush through his childhood, but Makoto can’t help being excited, anyway. Middle school is the earliest step to adulthood that he can imagine – he’s a little unsure of what comes after that – and being an adult means being able to do lots more things than he can do now.

When he’s an adult, his new baby brother and sister will be almost his current age, and by then he hopes that he’ll be a big brother worth looking up to. His parents say that he should set a good example, but Makoto’s not sure how just yet; he’s too busy being amazed by his newfound siblings with their scrunched-up faces and tiny hands. When they first came home from the hospital, all of their fingers could only hold one of Makoto’s. He catches himself smiling every time he thinks about it; he’s sure they’ll grow into amazing people, too. And when he’s an adult, he’ll be able to say that they are because he’ll just _know._

When he’s an adult, he’ll still be with Haru-chan, and then they’ll make good on their promise to get married and live together. They’ll have jobs like Makoto’s parents, and they’ll have mackerel every other night because it’s Haru-chan’s favorite.

First things first, though; they have to get ready to finish this year of school before they can move ahead.

“Haru-chan, do you think we should add more color here?”

Haru-chan’s good at drawing, after all, so Makoto thinks he’s probably the best person to ask. They’re working together on a big poster for their first-grade graduation ceremony; it’ll be for everyone’s parents to come see, plus Haru-chan’s grandma and Makoto’s siblings. He wants to impress them so that they can all say they had a good time; it seems like the best way to transition, on a happy note for everyone.

Haru-chan stares at him. “Don’t call me that…”

“Haru? Should we add some – here?” He gestures at the spot and tilts his head curiously.

Haru finally relaxes and looks at it. “Maybe a little,” he murmurs. “Some more blue, and it needs to be lighter.”

He goes back to working on the other side of the poster, his expression as unenthusiastic as it’d been before. Makoto watches him until he feels a little sinking sensation in his chest and has to turn away; he distracts himself by mixing more white into the blue paint he already has sitting out.

They go on like that for a while, settled down in the middle of the floor of Haru-chan’s living room. They have old newspapers spread out all over to protect the tatami from the paint they’re using, and – just to be extra safe – an old sheet on top of that.

Finally, Makoto sets his brush down and looks pleadingly at Haru. It takes the other boy a moment to notice, but he turns as soon as he has and studies Makoto curiously.

“Is something wrong?”

“Um – no,” Makoto mumbles sheepishly. “I was just worried that you’re not having fun doing this, Haru-chan – Haru – and if there’s anything I can do to make it better…”

Haru looks confused then. “This is fine. We can take a break if you want to, though.”

Makoto hesitates. “Uh. We could see if my parents will take us to swim in the pool.” He tries not to let Haru see how much he really wants to stay here and work on this – not exactly because of the poster itself, though. He’s still thinking about getting older fast, and the things some of their classmates talk and joke about, and that’s all too embarrassing to say it out loud.

Haru surprises him when he shakes his head. “We can go when we’re done with this. That’s what Makoto wants, right?”

“Oh! Well, yeah, if it’s okay with you,” Makoto says shyly. “Say, Haru-chan, are you really excited to be in the second grade soon?”

“It’s not that soon.”

“But are you?” Makoto persists.

Haru nods shortly.

Makoto wilts a little; he’d been hoping for enthusiasm there, at least. “How come?”

“Because,” Haru starts to answer, but he has to stop to think – and then start again. “Because we’ll get to swim more, and Makoto will be there. And we’ll be older…”

Makoto clutches his hands to his chest and looks wide-eyed at Haru – the poster temporarily forgotten. “Really, Haru-chan? You, too?”

“Me, too – what?”

“You want to get older, too?”

Haru nods again, and this time Makoto breaks out into a relieved smile. “So we can be adults,” he summarizes.

Another nod.

“That’s good! And we’ll stay together forever, too – so we can be married and everything!” He stretches his arms wide in his excitement, trying to somehow convey the hugeness of their future. His reward is a little smile from Haru, and that just delights him so much that he breaks out into short giggles, even pats Haru lightly on the shoulder and then gleefully goes back to working on the poster.

He doesn’t say so, but he wonders if it means that maybe – just maybe – Haru-chan wants to kiss him, too, someday.


End file.
